Prof. Leanne D. Chen (Curriculum Vitae)
Group Leader
Growing up in China, Leanne was mesmerized by mathematics and loved solving puzzles with her grandfather. She found her affinity for chemistry while attending Queen’s University and had the opportunity to combine these two subjects for an NSERC-USRA project, a collaboration between Nicholas J. Mosey and Suning Wang†. She continued developing her expertise in Physical Chemistry during her PhD at Stanford University, where she led efforts on unravelling the discharge mechanisms of batteries and the effects of electrolyte in catalysis under the tutelage of Jens K. Nørskov. She then moved to Caltech to complete a two-year appointment as a Postdoctoral Scholar. Despite (or perhaps because of) the perpetual sunshine in California, she missed the snow too much and made her way back to Canada to start her independent career. In her spare time, Leanne enjoys learning new twisty puzzles, playing the piano, and finding ways to be creative in all aspects of life.
Jahsiah Anthony
Undergraduate Researcher
Originally from Scarborough, Jahsiah developed an early interest in science that grew into a passion for physics and chemistry during high school. This interest led him to pursue a BSc in Chemical Physics at the University of Guelph, where he could explore the intersection of chemistry and physics in greater depth. His introduction to computational chemistry came through a course with Dr. Chen in the past year, where he became highly motivated to further explore this field. This experience inspired him to apply for the Summer URA position, where he is eager to build his skills and contribute to research in computational chemistry. Outside of academics, Jahsiah enjoys camping and is a competitive rock climber.
Julia Coveny
Graduate Researcher
Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Julia developed a passion for science at a young age. Her interest in chemistry began in high school, which led her to pursue a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Guelph. Having been introduced to computational chemistry in her undergraduate experience, she was immediately interested and eager to learn more. This interest led her to the Computational Electrochemistry Lab, where she is excited to embark on her first project in research! When not focused on studying, Julia enjoys hanging out with friends, playing board games, and spending time with her dog.
Henry Lim
Graduate Researcher
Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Henry’s interest in chemistry initiated in his adolescence, and had progressed over time towards a focus on computational chemistry. After attending Professor Chen’s classes and learning more about her computational chemistry research, Henry was fortunate enough to join the Computational Electrochemistry Lab to pursue his graduate studies. In his free time, Henry enjoys swimming, cycling, and walking his dogs from time to time.
Ray Nguyen
Undergraduate Researcher
Ray is an undergraduate student in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Guelph. Originally from Vietnam, he developed an early interest in areas such as wines, fragrance, and pharmaceuticals, which sparked his curiosity about the role of chemistry across different industries. Ray previously worked as a Pharmacy Assistant, gaining insight into how medications are used in practice, and also volunteered in France-Isabelle Auzanneau’s Lab, where he worked on carbohydrate-based anti-cancer vaccines. During his co-op in research and development in the dairy industry, Ray worked on projects involving formulation, data analysis, and process optimization. This experience helped him develop a practical understanding of how data can guide scientific decision-making and sparked his interest in computational approaches to chemistry. Outside of academics, Ray enjoys coffee, cooking, and exploring new foods.
Brendan D. Paget
Graduate Researcher
Originally from London, Ontario, Brendan completed his BSc in Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Guelph. Throughout his undergraduate studies, Brendan participated in various research projects. Brendan first engaged in a research project as an Undergraduate Research Assistant for Prof. Dmitriy Soldatov. In this project, Brendan explored the photoreactivity of olefin-containing molecules in the solid state, specifically crotonic acid. In Brendan’s fourth year of his undergraduate studies, he joined the group of Prof. Derek O’Flaherty to complete his honours research project. Here, Brendan studied nucleic acid chemistry and organic synthesis methods. Outside of academia, Brendan is an avid sports fan, with particular interest in soccer and football. Brendan also enjoys to workout and listen to music on his free time. Brendan’s love for coding and chemistry is what led him to join the Computational Electrochemistry Laboratory for his MSc.
Stephen W. Tatarchuk
Graduate Researcher (Co-Supervised with Prof. Aicheng Chen)
Stephen originally decided to pursue an education in chemistry due to the balance of highly theoretical and practical concepts. During his BSc and MSc, he worked on research projects focused on plasmonic nanocomposites and electrochemical catalysis as well as using different computational techniques to explain and predict the experimental behaviour of solid-state materials. Stephen’s current research focuses on applying computational methods to help develop a deeper theoretical understanding of electrochemical catalysis systems for carbon dioxide reduction, urea oxidation, and ammonia oxidation reactions. Stephen spends his free time enjoying the outdoors, building computers, and working on various hobby projects.
Group Alumni
Dr. Jingwen Zhou (S25–W26, PDS)
Brendan Laframboise (F23–S25, GR)
Shayne Johnston (F21–S25, UR & GR)
Jesper Biesenthal (W25, UR)
Daniel Quintal (F24, UR)
Olivia Parker (S24, UR)
William Cooper (F23–S24, UR)
Alexander MacKay (S22 & S24, UR)
Dr. Austin Pounder (S20–W24, GR)
Dr. Kayla Snyder (F20–F23, GR)
Dr. Rachelle Choueiri (S20–W23, PDS)
Xinrun Liu (S22, UR)
Krish Kiran Valluru (F20–S21, UR)
Mirna Ghattas (F20–W21, UR)
Katrina Ruzicka (F20–W21, UR)
Alexander Sweett (W21, UR)
Fiona Bishop (F20, UR)
Megan Farkas (F20, UR)
Laura Martin (F20, UR)
Cassandra Rooke (F20, UR)
Taylor Rounds (F20, UR)
Lindsey Starkman (F20, UR)
Chelsea D’Cruz (S20, UR)
Michi the Akita Inu
Lab Mascot
The Akita Inu (秋田犬 or “dog from Akita Prefecture”) became famous through the true story of Hachikō, a testament to the gentle and loyal nature of this breed. The story is retold in the Futurama episode “Jurassic Bark”, the ending of which is likely better known as the most heartrending moment of all time—even by Futurama standards.